Should transportation facilities and services be funded throughout Osceola County, including projects that improve roads and bridges, expand public transit options, fix potholes, enhance bus services, relieve rush hour bottlenecks, improve intersections, and make walking and biking safer by levying a one-cent sales surtax for 30 years?

______ FOR the one-cent sales surtax
______ AGAINST the once-cent surtax

Why is a one-cent surtax needed?
Right now, Osceola County has more than a $1.1 billion backlog of road construction needs. More than $250 million is needed to fill in existing sidewalk gaps, and $445 million is needed to build new recreational bicycle and pedestrian trails for residents. Additionally, surtax dollars will be used to relieve rush hour bottlenecks at key intersections and enhance bus services throughout the County. A one-cent surtax would improve and expand roads and public transit, significantly expand pedestrian and bicycle safety, reduce 911 response times, and provide a way for tourists and visitors to help pay for Osceola County’s transportation network.

How much money will be raised and how will it be spent?
A one-cent surtax will generate an estimated $67 million annually – or about $2.1 billion dollars over the next 30 years. A significant amount of that money will be paid by tourists and visitors. In addition to funding needed road improvements, the dollars will provide for critical pedestrian and biking safety projects, as well as additional investments in trails, technology to improve intersection operations, and vitally needed bus and transit expansion. The one-cent surtax will also boost the County’s road resurfacing budget from $9 million to $12 million each year – fixing more potholes and addressing other critical transportation maintenance operation needs.

How will the surtax revenue impact the future of Osceola County?
The one-cent transportation surtax will allow Osceola County to create a transportation network by fixing, building and expanding roads, as well as reducing congestion and gridlock through technology and the use of intelligent traffic signal coordination.

Can the surtax dollars be used outside of Osceola County?
No, the surtax money will be used ONLY within Osceola County, including the cities of Kissimmee and St. Cloud. The surtax will not be used on toll road projects.

What about the gas tax?
In 2015, the County Commission increased the gas tax by five cents per gallon, generating an additional average of $7.7 million per year. The money generated by the gas tax (2016 – 2018) has funded road resurfacing (31% of the money), transit services (29% of the money), and transportation capital projects (40% of the money). Prior to implementation of the gas tax, road resurfacing was funded at $3 million/year as compared to $9 million today and LYNX was funded at $6 million/year as compared to $7.6 million currently. Gas taxes, however, are a dwindling source of money with the proliferation of hybrids, electric cars and transit options, along with better mileage.

What about maintaining and fixing our current roads?
Prior to the implementation of the 2015 gas tax, Osceola County spent about $3 million annually in road resurfacing. This year, Osceola County is projected to spend a total of about $9 million. The surtax will increase that budget to approximately $12 million.

What about growth, and making sure that developers pay their fair share?
Osceola County is the second fastest growing county in the state, and will continue to welcome new families, businesses and jobs. Osceola County is making sure that developers pay their fair share. Osceola County nearly doubled the mobility fees paid by new development in 2017 and they are now the highest fees paid by developers in the region and among the highest in the state. Maintaining a healthy balance is important, too, to ensure that the cost of home ownership remains affordable for all Osceola residents.

What are mobility and impact fees?
In general, government charges fees to make sure that developers pay their fair share of the costs associated with new development, so that taxpayers are not burdened with the cost of things like new roads, new schools, new traffic lights and new parks. In Osceola County, developer fees are split into two categories. Mobility Fees are paid by developers for transportation-related impacts and Impact Fees are paid by developers for park, school, and fire impacts. Osceola County LEADS THE STATE in the mobility and impact fees that are charged for residential development.

Improve Roads & Bridges

What roads are on the list?
In addition to continuing construction on current projects such as Hoagland Boulevard, a list of eligible road projects is posted on the county's website at www.Osceola.org. With current funding, on average only one road project every 7 to 10 years is affordable. Funds from the surtax also will enable the County to leverage considerable state and federal grant dollars – money that now goes to other communities with the ability to match grant awards with local dollars.

How much do roads cost?
In general, building new roads - or expanding and realigning existing roads – is budgeted at about $10 million per mile.

How is transportation within Osceola County funded now?
Capital projects for the current fiscal year (FY2019) are funded as shown in the chart below.

Where does that money come from?
The capital transportation projects are currently funded from sources provided below.

What about transportation operations and maintenance costs?
The transportation operations and maintenance budget for the current fiscal year (FY 2019) is shown in the chart below.

Where does that money come from?
The operations and maintenance costs for transportation are currently funded from sources provided below.

What about maintaining and fixing our current roads?
Prior to the implementation of the 2015 gas tax, Osceola County spent about $3 million annually in road resurfacing. This year, Osceola County is projected to spend a total of about $9 million. The surtax will increase that budget to approximately $12 million.

Make Walking & Biking Safer

Expand Bus & Public Transit Service

What about LYNX and other public transportation?
The surtax could be used to advance exciting new transit projects on US 192, utilizing autonomous vehicles or other emerging transit technologies. LYNX service could be improved, with new routes added.

What about SunRail?
The proposed surtax could be used for SunRail operations or for expanding SunRail service.

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